


The Adventures of Nyactis, Cat Prince of Lucis

by Mars_McKie



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Animal Transformation, Cute Cat Moments, Fluff and Crack, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Noctis is a cat, One-Sided Attraction, The whole situation is rather ridiculous
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-14
Updated: 2019-04-18
Packaged: 2020-01-13 09:21:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18466060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mars_McKie/pseuds/Mars_McKie
Summary: Where last night in the tent there had slept their Prince... now sleeps a black cat.Ignis, Prompto and Gladio must go on a journey to find out what happened to Noctis and figure out how to change him back, all while Noctis gets up to catty hijinks.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Please do not panic looking at the number of chapters I have planned for this, I wrote the whole fic before posting this so I won't be leaving this one on a super long hiatus! (*looks at my other fics in dismay*) The other chapters will get posted as I finish proof-reading them.
> 
> This whole fic is pretty much fluff and crack and Ignis coming to terms with his feelings for Noctis, hope you enjoy!

“This is strange.”

“Maybe it’s an affliction from something we fought?”

“How can it? His Highness has been with us all night.”

Ignis’s frown grew deeper as he, Prompto and Gladio surveyed the problem before them- the three of them were crouched in the tent, leaning over Prince Noctis’s sleeping bag, but where last night there had slept their Prince now laid a black cat. Its ears and tail twitched as it slept on, curled up snuggly on the sleeping bag, unaware of the confusion it was causing.

“Should- should we wake him up?” Prompto suggested. Ignis nodded tersely. “Um, Noct? Buddy?”

“Time to get up, your Laziness” Gladio growled. The black cat reluctantly blinked open its eyes at the insult.

The cat yawned, revealing sharp pointy teeth, and stretched out. “He’s so cute!” Prompto crooned, reaching forward to scratch at the cat’s head. It would be highly inappropriate for Ignis to admit how adorable he was finding the scene given that it seemed his Prince had transformed into a cat.

The cat grew bored with Prompto’s fussing and swatted out at his arm, its claws catching on Prompto’s bracelets. It stilled, staring at the point where its paws clutched at Prompto’s arm.

“Noct?” Prompto asked and the cat turned to look at him with wide blue eyes. Exactly the same shade as Noctis’s eyes. It gave a loud “ _Meow!_ ”, paused at its own response, before twisting in the sleeping bag and struggling to its feet. Prompto pulled his wrist to his chest and rubbed at the leather bands.

“Did he scratch you?” Ignis murmured to Prompto, who shook his head. “Your Highness?”

Noctis turned his head to stare at Ignis at his words and gave another “ _Meow!_ ”

“Noct, I know this must be confusing but we’ll figure this out,” Ignis said reassuringly.

“ _Meow!_ ” Noctis replied.

“I’m gonna call Cor, see if he’s ever heard of anything like this,” Gladio said, drawing out his phone as he ducked out of the tent.

“So what do we do?” Prompto asked Ignis. It was so difficult for him to maintain a clear mind -the morning so far had been a trying one and he hadn’t even cracked open his first Ebony yet- but now was not the time for any of them to break down.

“Until we hear back from Cor, I’m going to make a start on breakfast,” Ignis decided, pushing his glasses up his nose.

“Breakfast?”

“It’s not much of a plan, but until we have a better idea of what we’re dealing with the most we can do is ensure we’re prepared for the day ahead.”

Prompto gave a shrug and said, “Sounds good to me!” before turning back to fuss over the cat.

Leaving Prompto behind to console Noctis, Ignis slipped from the tent and made his way over to his camping stove. He could hear Gladio at the other edge of the haven trying to explain their predicament to Cor.

Flicking through his little black notebook of recipes, Ignis decided to cook some easy rice balls, but then stopped as he remembered they now had a cat in their party. Would a cat be able to eat a rice ball? In all honesty he didn’t have the first idea about looking after cats- he hadn’t owned any pets while growing up and living in Insomnia, his life being a lonely one until he came to work as Noctis’s advisor at the Citadel. It would be fair to say that their group had become his whole life.

The memory came back to him of the first time they’d been to Galdin Quay and how Coctura had cooked fish for a local stray. Ignis did indeed have salmon that Noctis had caught not too long ago stored in his inventory and it would be easy enough to cook up some for the rice balls and some for Noctis.

Ignis set to work, cracking open a can of Ebony as he cooked, and soon the dual smells of steamed rice and baked salmon drifted on the air. Something nudged at his leg and, looking down, Ignis saw Noctis rubbing and winding his way eagerly around Ignis’s legs.

“Something smells good,” Prompto grinned, also emerging from the tent.

“Yes, and somebody knows it,” Ignis said. “While I did take your new dietary requirements into consideration, there’s no need to act quite so much like a cat, your Highness.”

Prompto drew Noctis away from the stove so Ignis wouldn’t trip over him as he prepared the rice balls, just as Gladio returned to them.

“The only thing Cor can compare it to is Toad, but... he’s a cat,” Gladio said, accepting a plate from Ignis. “He said to meet him in Lestallum; he’s coming down from Cape Caem.”

“And if the Immortal can’t provide any answers?” Prompto asked, taking his plate of rice balls and flopping down in his camp-chair.

“Perhaps if we could consult with the Oracle,” Ignis mused. “If this was the will of the gods... but what would be the meaning behind it?”

Ignis picked up the bowl containing the salmon, gave an apologetic look to Noctis and set it down on the ground. It wasn’t the most dignified way for the Prince to eat his breakfast but it would have to do for now. As it was, Noctis was rubbing against Ignis’s hand and had his face in the bowl as soon as Ignis set it down, tearing at the flakes of salmon. Ignis had to resist the urge to pet him, instead sitting down with his own rice balls.

“Ha, the fur on his head is even stuck up like Noct’s hair!” Prompto laughed. Ignis had to agree- the black fur was sleek on the cat's body, save for the section at the back of its head where it stuck up in a mimicry of Noct's usual style.

They were silent as they ate, and Prompto snapped a quick shot of Noctis eating from his bowl (“An odd one for the album, no doubt!”). Noctis finished before the rest of them, ensuring his bowl was licked clean and was soon nuzzling against Ignis’s leg again.

“You just had breakfast,” Ignis huffed.

“He knows where the food comes from!” Prompto said.

“You’re not getting any more,” Ignis said sternly. “I bet you transformed into a cat on purpose so you wouldn’t have to eat your vegetables.”

Gladio and Prompto laughed loudly while Ignis made a mental note to buy more fish while they were at the market in Lestallum. He’d be damned if he was going to feed Noctis canned cat food.

They left the camping stuff where it was, in a hurry to leave and agreeing that Noctis’s condition was more important. They would only be an hour away from the campsite in Lestallum, so they could return for the stuff later.

The walk back to where they had parked the Regalia presented another problem- Noctis walked alongside the group, his nose sniffing at the air, when at one point he stopped in his tracks and sprayed into the bushes, narrowly missing Gladio who was walking behind his Prince as always.

“Watch where you spray!” Gladio shouted in alarm. Noctis shot him a glare over his shoulder. “Prince Charmless!”

“If Noct does remain a cat would we need to... you know?” Prompto said, miming a snipping motion with his fingers.

Ignis stared in alarm. “We cannot neuter the Crown Prince of Lucis!”

“But if he were to find a female cat and have kittens...”

Ignis pushed down the feelings of hurt that came with the implications of Noctis taking a partner, as he was long used to doing, and replied, “I would trust Prince Noctis to remember his lessons concerning how casual relationships could prove damaging with regards to his position and duties as Prince.”

“Wow,” Prompto whistled. “Sucks to be a Prince. It’s probably a relief for him to get some time away from the responsibility.”

Ignis’s heart clenched- Prompto’s views as someone who had not grown up with the expectations of a public life could be refreshing; at other times it reminded Ignis of a life that Noctis could never lead.

Gladio rounded on Prompto. “It would do his Highness well to remember that people are depending on him- he cannot afford to run away from his responsibilities!”

Prompto’s face fell even as Noctis weaved between his legs, nearly tripping him up.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all of the support on this fic so far! :3

On reaching the Regalia, Gladio held the car door open for Noctis. The cat considered the open door but made no move to get in.

“We don’t have all day, Princess,” Gladio said, roughly picking Noctis up around the midriff (Noctis yeowed loudly in indignation) and setting him on the backseat. The Prince’s retinue climbed in after him and Ignis started the engine.

“Oi!” Gladio cried from the backseat. Ignis turned around sharply in alarm, only to see Noctis trying to settle himself onto Gladio’s lap.

“Got yourself a lap warmer!” Prompto grinned.

Ignis sighed and turned his attention to the road, though each time he glanced in the rear-view mirror he could see Gladio attempting to keep Noctis at bay, his scowl slowly slipping as each time he pushed the cat away Noctis would rub his head against Gladio’s hand, until finally Noctis set his four paws on Gladio’s thighs and settled down to sit on his lap. Prompto was twisted around in the passenger seat, giggling manically as he snapped picture after picture of Gladio -his face like stone- with Noctis dozing off on his lap.

“Comfy back there?” Prompto asked.

“His foot is in a really inconvenient place,” Gladio grunted.

The campsite they were at was an hour away from Lestallum, though it would take longer for Cor to travel down from Cape Caem. Some time later, they emerged from the tunnel into bright sunlight and turned down the slope to park up by the look out.

“Where did Cor say to head to?” Ignis asked as he turned the engine off. There was no response. “Gladio?”

“Shift your furry ass!” Gladio said, and turning around Ignis saw that Noctis was not fussed about moving off of Gladio’s lap. For his part, Gladio seemed reluctant to move Noctis himself.

“Noct? Come on, it’s time to go,” Prompto said, petting the cat’s head. Gladio hissed sharply and twisted his hips so that Noctis was roughly dislodged from his sleeping place.

“Gladio!” Ignis cried, then as Noctis climbed onto the boot and jumped out of the back of the car, “Noct, wait!”

“He sunk his claws into me!” Gladio said indignantly.

“I’ll repair your trousers later!” Ignis retorted. Getting out of the car, Ignis followed Noctis to where he was running back up the slope towards the city, his nose sniffing at the air with interest and heedless of the cars on the main road. As Ignis watched, a car doing twice the speed limit emerged from the tunnel.

“Noct!” Ignis yelled. Sprinting, Ignis reached down with one hand to scoop Noctis up, summoned his polearm in his other hand and drove it into the asphalt so that he somersaulted clean over the speeding car, and landed on his feet with Noctis clenched to his chest.

His heart hammered with suppressed shock while a few onlookers applauded his acrobatics. Ignis made his way to the opposite pavement and dispelled his polearm back into the armiger as Noctis twisted in his arm in order to get free.

Taking a few steadying breaths, Ignis bent down on the pavement next to Noctis and extended the back of his hand towards the black cat. The cat-prince nosed at it for a second before rubbing his face against it, allowing Ignis to pet him.

“This must be a strange feeling for you,” Ignis said gently, doing his best not to let his fear show in his voice- this situation was not Noctis’s fault. “But you don’t need to lash out like that. We will help you get back to normal, you don’t need to run from us.”

“ _Meow!_ ”

Ignis allowed a moment longer to stroke Noctis, the motion having a calming effect on his heart rate, before Ignis stood up at Prompto and Gladio’s arrival. Neither seemed to have seen the previous commotion.

“Are we good?” he asked.

Gladio still looked grumpy but nodded. Prompto added, “Better than good!”

“ _Meow!_ ” Noctis cried. Together the four of them made their way up the stairs to the main hub of the city. Cor had texted Gladio that he would meet them at a tipster by the main square, so they sat on the plastic chairs and ordered lunch. When the food arrived, Noctis jumped up onto a spare chair and tried to make a bid for Prompto’s skewers.

“Oi! Get your own; these’ll be too spicy for you!” Prompto said, trying to get Noctis away from his precious meat.

“Here, Noct-” Ignis said, pulling apart some of the tender plain chicken from his own skewer and offering it to the cat. Noctis took interest immediately, plucking the strips from Ignis’s fingers and chewing it down. Ignis pondered that it might be worth considering some new recipes specifically designed as cat food if this ailment were to continue, and was brought back into the moment by the feeling of a velvety tongue licking any remnants of flavour from his bare thumb. He drew his hand back in surprise, feeling a blush spread across his face.

“So we just wait here until Cor arrives?” Prompto asked once they had all finished lunch and Ignis had jotted down some ideas.

“That’s the plan,” Gladio said. The plan was quickly scuppered as something caught Noct’s attention. Ignis watched as his pupils were blown wide, staring at something in the distance, before he jumped down off the chair and ran down a nearby alleyway.

“Hey! Get your princely pussy back here!” Gladio shouted.

“Not so loud, Gladio!” Ignis hissed, aware of the stares they were getting. The three of them leapt from the table and took off in pursuit. The close knit alleyways offered some shade from the intense sun and plenty of hiding places for a mid-sized cat.

“Hello, what do we have here?” A voice mused from around the next corner.

_No!_  Ignis’s heart fell. _Not him, not now..._

Rounding a corner they saw Noct sniffing at the hand of Ardyn Izunia, Chancellor of Niflheim.

“Aren’t you the sweetest thing!” Ardyn practically purred, tickling the cat’s chin.

Ignis froze. Ardyn had no way of knowing what had happened to the Prince of Lucis, _right?_

“Ah!” Prompto stammered on seeing Ardyn crouched there. Gladio threw out an arm to him in warning not to say anything.

“Oh, hello there!” Ardyn smiled on seeing the Prince’s retinue. “Is this one with you?”

“As a matter of fact, yes,” Ignis said. His tone was perhaps too defensive as Ardyn raised his eyebrows in question. “We would be grateful if we could have him back-”

Ignoring Ignis’s request, Ardyn scooped the black cat up into his arms. Noctis gave a loud cry in protest, trapped in Ardyn’s embrace.

“Aw, wherever did you find such a smart cat?” Ardyn murmured, his tone somewhere between cute and sinister and Ignis did not like it at all.

“A little girl lost him; we were returning him to her,” Ignis said, trying to control the fire raging in his chest.

“How adorable,” said Ardyn, his eyes flicking up to regard the group. “But I can’t help but notice the Prince is not helping with this noble mission.”

Ignis pursed his lips but Ardyn did not seem to expect an answer. “Does he have a name?”

“Ebony,” Ignis answered immediately. “His name is Ebony.”

“How appropriate,” Ardyn hummed. Noctis twisted sharply and kicked away from Ardyn, landing heavily on all fours on the pavement. “Oh, I’m terribly sorry; I did not mean to keep you from your entourage.”

Noctis shot Ardyn a glare before walking away with his tail high in the air. On reaching his friends he turned around, looked Ardyn dead in the eye, and squatted to take a dump.

“Eww!” Prompto groaned, cringing away from the sight.

Ignis and Gladio both grimaced and Ardyn’s smile twitched at the display. “Well, I shall leave you to clear up after your charge. I bid you farewell for now.”

Ignis’s jaw clenched as Ardyn turned with a wave and finally left. The tension drained from the group as they gathered around the cat and the pile of poo.

“Anyone got a bag to clean that up?” Gladio asked.

Noctis sat down next to them, cocked his hind leg and proceeded to lick clean his hole.


	3. Chapter 3

The three of them agreed it would be better to get Noctis off of the streets, so Gladio fired off a text to Cor with a new meeting place and the four of them made their way to the Leville hotel.

“Do the Leville allow pets to stay?” Prompto pointed out when they were stood outside. Ignis and Gladio exchanged a look which said neither of them were sure. Quickly formulating a plan, Ignis and Prompto went up to the front desk to book the group in, then proceeded to distract the two receptionists with questions while Gladio smuggled Noctis inside, the cat clutched close to his chest inside his shirt. The four of them met outside their usual twin room and let themselves in.

“Might as well rest, Cor won’t be here for another two hours yet” Gladio said, taking the seat by the window and pulling out his phone.

“Do you think Ardyn might have known anything about Noct’s condition?” Prompto asked, joining Gladio by the window and also taking out his phone, presumably for a round of _King’s Knight_.

“Perhaps, but asking help from the Chancellor would be a recipe for disaster,” Ignis said. “His presence here presents a problem, not a solution. Especially if he has a hand in this somehow.”

“Yeah. Plus it would be bad if the empire learnt of his Highness’s condition,” Gladio agreed.

Ignis shrugged off his jacket and hung it up, then flopped down onto his back on one of the double beds and covered his face with his arm. His training as royal advisor had prepared him to deal with many scenarios, but none of those scenarios involved the Prince transforming into an animal and the situation was taking its mental toll on him.

A weight landed on the foot of the bed next to his leg, then came the weight of four paws climbing onto his stomach. Moving his arm and raising his head in surprise, Ignis looked down to see Noctis walking up his torso, his furry face taking up Ignis’s field of vision.

“Y-your Highness?” Ignis stammered.

“Aww!” Prompto cooed, raising his camera. Noctis dipped his head down to meet Ignis’s and head-butted him.

“If this is your way of saying you want more food, you’re not getting any,” Ignis said, his voice firm. Noctis considered this, before leaning forward again so that their noses touched. The cat’s nose was leathery with a slightly wet quality and Ignis felt himself blush bright red, his lips pursed and his eyes wide.

“Aww, kisses!” Prompto squealed as the camera shutter clicked.

“What was that about?” Gladio asked, frowning.

“It seems as though -in addition to Noct’s usual habits- he is developing feline tendencies,” Ignis pointed out. “If his behaviour earlier today and crude display for the Chancellor are anything to go by.”

 _What else could it mean?_ He thought wildly to himself.

“Let’s hope it’s not a sign that this change is becoming irreversible,” Gladio said. Noctis circled around on Ignis’s chest (Ignis averted his eyes as he nearly got an eye-full of the cat’s rear end) and settled down to rest on Ignis’s stomach, his blue eyes staring down into green ones, wide behind his glasses. The camera snapped again. This whole situation really was impeding on Ignis’s ability to think straight.

“Looks like he’s made himself comfortable for the afternoon,” Prompto said.

“Indeed,” Ignis sighed. This threw his plans for the foreseeable future out of the window. “I’m sorry to ask, as we only just arrived, but I had intended to fetch some ingredients suitable for a cat from the market. As it is, it seems like I’m slightly trapped here.”

“You’re too soft on him,” Gladio huffed, but stood up nonetheless. “Fine, we can go if you’re fine to babysit his Furryness.”

“You didn’t want to move him either!” Prompto reminded Gladio of their trip in the Regalia.

Ignis nodded his agreement and gave Gladio instructions to locate his shopping list in his coat pocket. Prompto jumped up to join Gladio, stroking Noctis’s curled back as he passed, and they left. Ignis gave another sigh as the door closed behind them.

Noctis was in such a position on Ignis’s torso that every time he breathed in and out the cat was raised and lowered on his chest and stomach. He wasn’t heavy, so the position wasn’t too uncomfortable, though it did feel strangely intimate.

Finally allowing himself to give in to temptation, Ignis undid the clasps on his gloves and pulled them off, set them on the bed beside him, reached up with his bare hand and stroked the cat’s head, his hand smoothing down the spiked fur on the back of its head. Noctis arched up into his touch and looked immensely happy with the affection he was receiving.

“This must be as strange for you as it is for us,” Ignis murmured. Noctis really did make a beautiful cat.

Allowed time to rest, the emotions from the day settled in Ignis’s mind- the initial confusion, the fear at nearly losing Noctis to the speeding car, the fire of jealousy that raged within him when he’d seen Ardyn holding Noctis, the sweet adoration that came with all of Noct’s actions... It was all of the emotions that he would deal with on a normal day, buried deep down for fear that his feelings for his Prince would cloud his judgement and become a burden. Now, all of those emotions were being churned dangerously close to the surface as a result of a situation that he was unable to prepare for. He was a weak man, Ignis admitted to himself.

His heart sinking, a frown set on his face as he ceased his scratching of the cat’s ears, and Noctis looked up, scrutinizing the advisor.

“ _Meow!_ ” Noctis cried. Ignis wanted to believe there was concern in Noct’s gaze, but he couldn’t really tell.

The events of the day rolled through Ignis’s head again, and this time Ignis remembered the speed and athletic ability with which he had saved Noctis from the oncoming car, the manner in which he had been able to handle the situation with the Chancellor with tact and diplomacy, how quick he was adapting to the Prince’s affliction with new ideas for recipes and consideration for Noctis’s wellbeing in this matter...

Then there was the matter of that nose kiss. What had been the meaning behind that?

His hand settled on Noctis’s back, his thumb stroking back and forth in small, slow motions. Starting low, a deep rumbling purr reached Ignis’s ears as Noctis dipped his head down to rest on his front legs, content with the affection being lavished upon him. Ignis felt his heart melt at the sound.

“I might be a weak man,” Ignis admitted quietly. “But you give me the strength I need to go on. If today has taught me anything it’s that I would do anything for you.”

Noct’s eyes flicked up to meet his again. Ignis’s gaze faltered, suddenly unsure with his admission, but forced himself to continue even as he stared at the bedsheets.

“I... would be lost without you. This time I have spent by your side I treasure, and if you would allow it I would always want to be by your side. I understand this might not be the most convenient of times for me to say this as you’re dealing with so much change already, but I must speak with my heart because Noctis I lo-”

Ignis forced himself to look up at Noctis as he admitted his true feelings, but in doing so he saw that Noctis had gone to sleep. The words became stuck in his mouth and Ignis huffed. _Typical_. And he had finally worked himself up to saying it too.

Pinned underneath the sleeping cat-prince, Ignis was unable to do anything in his position, so he allowed himself to rest safe in the knowledge that his Prince was close and closed his eyes to nap too.

“I love you, Noct,” Ignis whispered as he drifted off. The cat’s ears twitched in its sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Ignis was woken up some time later by a loud knock at the door. At first he couldn’t understand why his body felt so heavy until he realised -when claws started flexing lightly at his chest through his shirt- that Noctis was still settled there. Falling asleep with a cat on his torso probably hadn’t been the best idea.

“Morning,” he said sleepily, and Noctis yawned widely in reply, all pointy teeth and leathery tongue. Ignis petted the cat absently on the back as they both woke up.

“Good morning to you too,” said another voice. Turning his head Ignis saw Gladio move across the hotel room to answer the door. The shield smirked at the pair on the bed. “You were asleep when we got back.”

“I was just resting my eyes,” Ignis said, his voice groggy. He shifted slightly and Noctis reluctantly climbed off of him as he straightened his spectacles.

“Yeah for two hours,” Prompto grinned.

Sitting up, Ignis grabbed his gloves and adjusted his shirt- in addition to some deep creases he was also covered in fine black cat hairs. He tried to brush them off but they proved too stubborn to shift. There was usually a lint roller in addition to an ironing board in the hotel room, so it shouldn’t prove too much of an issue to remove the fur.

“Hey Cor- what are you doing here?” Gladio said, his voice gruff at first then nearly shouting in surprise.

“She heard us talking on the phone and insisted on coming with me,” Cor Leonis replied irritably. He walked into the room past Gladio -nodding to Ignis who was scouting around in the wardrobe for the lint roller- and as Ignis looked past the Crownsguard veteran he could see Gladio’s younger sister Iris.

“Hello to you too!” Iris huffed, slightly affronted by Gladio’s greeting. She strode past him and Gladio closed the door sharply. The pair of newcomers spotted Noctis where he was still sat on the bed, licking his paw and using it to rub clean his ear, and Iris squealed. “Aww, he’s so cute!”

“Iris, please, that’s still the Crown Prince of Lucis you’re talking to,” Cor sighed. Turning to Gladio and Ignis he asked, “You say you found him in this state this morning?”

“Yes, his Highness was like this when I woke up,” Ignis said, running the roller over his shirt. With a few swipes it did the trick and removed most of the cat hairs.

Cor frowned and pursed his lips, then turned back to the cat. “Prince Noctis?” Noctis turned his head to regard Cor, then returned to his cleaning. Cor's frown deepened. “Might there have been any signs yesterday? Was there anything out of the ordinary last night when you made camp?”

“Nothing that we could think of,” Gladio replied.

“And he hasn’t said anything to you?”

“No. He can only meow like a cat. His behaviour has become more cat-like too.”

Cor drifted to settle on the other double bed, his head resting on his hands in thought. “I can honestly say I have never seen anything like this before. I’m not even sure what to suggest.”

While he talked, Iris leaned forward to present her hand for Noctis. He paused in his preening to sniff at her hand then rubbed up against it. “He’s more affectionate than he usually is,” she remarked.

“Yeah, he’s super cute!” Prompto laughed, also moving forward to pet Noctis. Cor and Gladio both scowled while Ignis turned to hide his blush. He was damned if he were to admit to his friends that this transformation was the cutest thing he had ever seen, not to mention how it had allowed him to say what was in his heart to his Highness...

There was a scratching noise at the door and every head in the room turned to look. Gladio motioned to them all to stay back as he approached and cracked open the door.

“Ah!” He said in surprise, opening the door further to allow Luna’s dog Umbra into the room.

Umbra walked over to the bed where Noctis was sat, but on spying the dog Noctis hissed loudly and from his vantage point swatted at Umbra’s nose with his paw.

“Noct!” Prompto cried, holding the cat back even as Umbra whined.

“I guess it’s instinct for cats to hate dogs,” Iris said.

“That wasn’t very nice- ow!”

Noctis scratched Prompto’s arm in his effort to break free, but just as Ignis was about to check on Prompto another figure joined them- this time Gentiana, a messenger and friend of the oracle Lunafreya, breezed through the door. The room stilled as she walked over to Noctis -who had obtained freedom on the bed- with a smile on her face, pressed a finger to her lips then touched it to the cat’s nose. Her smile widened at the confused look on Noct’s face.

“Gentiana?” Ignis asked quietly. “Do you bring word from Luna? Do you know how this happened?”

Gentiana turned to Ignis. “Fear not; all will be well with the King of Light if his company return to the place where they laid rest this last night.”

“To the haven?” Ignis repeated, and Gentiana nodded serenely. “Thank you.”

Umbra barked and Gentiana scratched the dog’s ears in condolence before they both took their leave. The group quickly gathered themselves up -Ignis grabbing the bags of food while Gladio and Iris detained Noctis, and Prompto reassured Cor that the scratch was only a surface wound so had not drawn any blood- and left the hotel room. Gentiana and Umbra were already out of sight as they made their way through the hotel and back along the streets to the parked cars.

The trip back to the cars was less eventful than their journey up, though Noctis still writhed and twisted in Gladio’s arms in protest at being carried. He only stopped when Gladio dumped him on the back seat of the Regalia and slid in after him, Iris getting in the other side while Prompto sat up front and Ignis drove. Cor followed them in a convoy back to the parking spot near the haven.

He could hear Prompto and Iris cooing over Noctis (trying to settle once again on Gladio’s lap) and Ignis pondered over Gentiana’s words. The messenger had been vague in her instructions; he probably should have pressed for more answers about Noct’s condition but they had all been too relieved to hear there would be a solution that they acted on her word without much thought.

Would returning to the haven solve their issue? They could only hope so.

They arrived at the parking spot and walked as a group back to the haven- this time being more careful about giving Noctis space while he walked alongside them as he did indeed spray into the bushes again.

“Nooooct!” Iris cringed.

“When you gotta go you gotta go,” Prompto sighed. “Noct, buddy, when you change back you have a lot of people you gotta apologise to who you’ve nearly peed on.”

They climbed the rocky path up to the top of the haven where their camping equipment was set up how they had left it that morning. The sun was starting to set, painting the expanse of sky rainbow colours and they stood there in the open air looking around for a long moment.

“So... what do we have to do to change Noct back?” Prompto asked.

“Gentiana said to return here, but...” Gladio said.

“We didn’t ask specifics,” Ignis finished. “Damn.”

Time passed with nobody offering any new suggestions. Cor walked around the edge of the haven as though an answer might be written on the runes. Tense, Gladio summoned his greatsword and kicked his feet against the ground. Prompto and Iris retreated to the camp chairs, and as the sun sank below the horizon Ignis knelt down to get the camp fire going. Noctis came over to see what he was doing, and Ignis had to hold him back to keep him from burning his nose.

“None of that now, you don’t want to catch your fur,” Ignis said gently. “Though if you like I’m sure you could help me prepare dinner.”

Noctis paused at the suggestion before his head turned, he sniffed at the air, and took off back towards the path that led down from the haven.

“Noct! Wait!” Ignis called, jumping up to run after the cat. His shout caught Cor and Gladio’s attention and they followed him.

“Aw, hi there!”

The voice made Ignis’s heart skip a beat.

_Noctis_.

Running to the edge of the haven, Ignis skidded to a halt as, looking down, he saw Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum bent down on one knee to pet an affectionate black cat.

Noctis looked up and smiled on seeing Ignis stood there. “Hey Specs, when did we get a cat?” Ignis’s mind raced as his hands balled into fists. “Iggy? Are you alright? Wait- why are Cor and Iris here? Why are you all looking at me like tha- IGNIS?”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all of the support on this fic! I will get around to properly looking at the comments and replying this weekend! =^-^=

Ignis stood with his palms flat against the camp stove, his shoulders hunched and his head low, trying to calm the anger that boiled through his veins.

_A cat. He had been running around all day after a common cat._

It transpired that Noctis had gotten up before the rest of them and decided to go on an impromptu fishing trip to a spot close to the haven. Not wanting to wake the others, he left a slip of paper on his sleeping bag detailing where he was going. A note which had then been sat upon by the black cat when it wandered into their tent looking for a warm place to sleep. The Prince had lost track of the day as he spent time snacking on food stored in the armiger while casting his line into the bountiful lake. He only noticed how much time had passed when the sun started to set and he wondered why his friends had never joined him.

In the shock at seeing Noctis return and being greeted by the cat, Ignis had summoned a dagger and thrown it at the Prince’s head. Hence he had isolated himself to stand away from the group until he sufficiently calmed down.

Ignis took a deep breath through his nose, trying to stop his body from shaking uncontrollably while behind him Cor and Gladio were simultaneously giving the Prince the lecture of his life for leaving the camp without properly informing his guard. So far they were showing no signs of easing up on him any time soon, until half an hour later Noctis asked defensively, “Why didn’t you realise I was gone?”

His question silenced them all. Ignis’s fingers gripped the metal surface until his knuckles turned white as Prompto quietly said, “Well... you see, when we woke up this cat was in your sleeping bag...”

“You’re telling me,” Noctis said slowly, his voice filling with mirth. “You thought I’d turned into a cat? Oh my god, that’s hilarious!”

A vein pulsed in Ignis’s temple. _Yes, a cat_ , he thought bitterly . He had finally worked himself up to tell Noctis how he truly felt, and his confession was all for nothing as it turned out it wasn’t Noctis he had admitted his feelings to. He felt like his emotions had been manipulated- how he had came to the realisation he would do anything for Noctis, it had all been brought on by this cat.

“You have to admit, he does look like you,” Iris said fairly. “His fur is the same colour as yours -I mean, your hair- it even sticks up at the back the same way as yours, and he has your eyes.”

“I guess,” Noctis said. “So wait- why are you and Cor here?”

Ignis listened as Prompto recounted the events of the day- their trip to Lestallum, bumping into Ardyn, smuggling the cat into the Leville, Cor and Iris arriving, Gentiana and Umbra telling them to return to the haven, complete with all of the photos Prompto had taken throughout the day. Gladio and Cor were suspiciously silent throughout the retelling, though Ignis grudgingly thought they could only be feeling half as embarrassed as he felt right now. To think, Noctis would have had his phone on him the whole time; one text to check would have averted an entire day of worry.

“Aw man! This is too good!” Noctis laughed while looking through the camera roll. “You would really let me sit on your lap, Gladio?”

“Don’t count on it, Princess!” said Gladio, the anger not yet fully dissipated from his voice.

“Why couldn’t Gentiana have told us at the hotel the cat wasn’t Noct?” Cor asked wearily.

“Messengers of the Oracle gotta be mysterious,” Prompto replied. “Wait, do you think Ardyn knew?”

“Who can say?” Gladio growled.

“He sure is smart for a regular cat,” Prompto said. “He followed us around, answered to Noct’s name...”

“Probably ‘cause he knew you had food; remember when we had Aster when we were little? She was the same,” Iris said to Gladio. “I’m guessing you fed him?”

“Only the finest recipes from the best personal cat chef on Eos, of course,” Gladio sighed. Ignis pursed his lips and took another deep breath. “Yeah; Aster was loving as hell when we fed her, would sometimes attack my arm when the mood took her.”

“That’s because you tried to pick her up and put her in the bath that one time!” Iris scoffed.

“I got replaced by a cat for a day and none of you noticed the difference,” Noctis sighed. “Ouch, that burns!”

“Stop being so damn lazy and we mighta had a chance,” Gladio said.

“Aww, that’s adorable!” Noctis said, ignoring Gladio’s insult and reacting to another photo. “The cat giving Specs nose kisses- Iggy, that’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen!”

Ignis felt the blood run into his face. Something bumped against his shin and -looking down- he saw the black cat rubbing up against his leg.

“I’m not talking to you,” Ignis said coldly.

“Aww, don’t be like that, Iggy!” Noctis said, walking over to the pair.

“I’m not talking to you either, for that matter,” Ignis said, turning and pushing his spectacles back up his nose. Noctis did have the decency to look apologetic at Ignis’s words and hard glare, faltering as no doubt the memory of the dagger flying towards him and him warping out of the way came to the forefront of his mind.

“You can be mad at me all you like, OK?” Noctis said, and bent down to scoop the cat up into his arms. Side by side the likeness between the two was even more glaring. “But don’t be mad at him, it’s not his fault!”

“You’re correct there,” Ignis said, trying to keep his voice level. Noctis held the cat up to Ignis’s face so that he was staring right into those blue eyes. With the back of his legs against the stove Ignis had nowhere to go, and even as Ignis leaned back as far as he could the cat inquisitively leaned forward to give him nose kisses again. His face -if it was possible- turned an even brighter red. Over the top of the cat’s head he could see Noct’s face, pouting his most sad expression, a look he imagined was mirrored in the cat’s wide eyes. Ignis’s heart quivered and finally melted.

“Fine, I forgive you,” Ignis said, taking the black cat from Noctis and into his arms like a baby. “Not you though,” he added to Noctis, his eyes a pointed glare. Noctis crossed his arms and scowled.

“I think the cat managed to sink its claws into Ignis’s heart!” Iris grinned. A soft, reluctant smile found its way onto Ignis’s face as the cat meowed its delight.

“So now we have a cat with us what are we gonna call it?” Noctis asked.

“Yeah, he needs a cool name!” Prompto said joyously.

“We can’t keep it!” Gladio said in alarm.

“I have to agree,” Ignis said sadly, walking over with the cat to the group around the campfire even as Noctis and Prompto cried in despair. “If today has taught us anything it’s that we’re not equipped to deal with the needs of a cat while living on the road.”

“There were many times today where things nearly took a dangerous turn,” Gladio added. Prompto closed his mouth, unable to argue against that point.

“He can come live with us at Cape Caem,” Iris said.

“Wait a minute-” Cor started.

“Yeah!” Noctis said, overjoyed at Iris’s suggestion. “The cat can live in the house and there’s lots of safe areas around Cape Caem for it to explore, and we can visit him any time we pass by!”

“Can we talk about this, your Highness?” Cor said, his teeth gritted.

“That’s settled!” Noctis decided, his tone final and Prompto and Iris both cheered. Cor set his face in his hands, his protests overruled, and Gladio clapped him on the shoulder.

“Looks like you’ve got another freeloader on your hands,” Gladio said, unable to keep the grin off his face. “As far as a name goes, I reckon Ignis came up with the perfect name- Ebony.”

“ _Ebony_ ,” Ignis repeated in a purr to the cat. “Not quite as fancy as us calling you ‘Prince’, but it suits you well.”

Ebony bumped his head against Ignis’s chin in deference to his new name.

“I suppose you’ll all be wanting dinner?” Ignis asked, aware that he had a rather large group to cater for. Five sheepish faces and a “ _Meow!_ ” came as confirmation. “Come on then, Ebony; let’s see what we can get you.”

Ignis walked back to the camp stove with Ebony in his arms, looking forward to one more night of companionship with the affectionate cat before he left for his new home in the morning. He could hear the others talking as he left.

“Dammit, Specs is gonna end up loving that cat more than me!” Noctis groaned. Ignis felt the blush creep back onto his face and buried his face into Ebony’s fur; today had proved that he was brave enough to admit his love for his Prince, so now he only had to tell the real Noctis.

“Yeah,” Gladio laughed. “Ebony could end up clinging onto Ignis... _fur-ever!_ ”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to DinkyDory for beta reading!


End file.
